// A Perth startup launches its skincare product range, made from spare mangoes…
Good friends and co-founders Janelle Sullivan and Mary Bocarro created The Mango Project back in 2019, looking to repurpose mango by-products into a range of skincare products.
Janelle grew up on a Canarvon mango plantation, where she found that up to 60% of mango harvest can end up wasted.
Could this waste material have a better purpose?
Australia’s food waste problem
Food waste has become a problem in Australia. According to the Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment, it costs the local economy $20B a year.
Some 7.3M tonnes of waste, or about 300kg per person, goes to landfill each year and it takes organisations like OzHarvest, FoodBank and others to try and divert that to where it’s needed instead.
More than five years ago, Australians protested mass mango dumping at the king of fruits meeting in far north Queensland.
That sentiment hasn’t died down. A week ago, a Queensland teenager went viral on the world’s media for creating a dress out of 1400 mango seeds to highlight the issue of food waste.
In WA, we’ve gone for something a little a more practical: beauty products.
The fruits of labour
The Perth-based startup is launching their beauty products this month, with the range including a facial moisturiser and mango oil.
Co-founder Janelle told Startup News:
“We’re the first mango based cosmetics company in Australia that focuses on repurposing mango waste into natural skincare that aims to provide clear skin and a clear conscience.
Our main goal is to teach people the benefits that mango oil has for your skin and promote responsible local production and consumption.
Mangoes are a great source of Vitamins A, C and E, Omega 6 and 9, and Stearic Acid, however the best attributes are hidden within the seed and are difficult to extract”.
Janelle Sullivan, Co-Founder The Mango Project
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For more, visit the website, or link up on Instagram.
Main Image: Founders Mary Bocarro and Janelle Sullivan at the farm. All photos supplied.
